One of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. Frankly, I am not a fan of their pho. For some reason I never really like their broth. With that said, they have some of the most extensive menus compared to most Vietnamese restaurants. I've been coming here for more than 10 years and I rarely dine in. My absolute favorite dish is their Mongolian beef. I love that stuff man. The portions are amazing, I can normally eat it for multiple meals. Other than that, I remember loving all of their fried rice and broken rice plates. You cannot go wrong with any of those choices. Another reason why I frequent this place so much is because of the lack of good Chinese food places in San Diego. Saigon is my go-to place whenever I want my Chinese food fix. It reminds me of Chinese restaurants in sf. Service is normally slow but that has been my experience with most older Asian establishments--subpar service. Still, their food is top notch. So I suggest you put their number in your phone and just phone in your order. Oh, and don't forget to try their Mongolian beef, its freaking delicious! read more

Saigon - Mongolian Beef - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

If I could choose 0 stars I would. Absolutely TERRIBLE service. We ordered Pho. it took over an hour to get our food, and that was after asking the staff about it. The waiter never came and checked on us and we had to go to the waiter to ask about our order. After checking it still took another 15 minutes for them to bring it out. All the while, we watched several Asian families come in and get their food immediately. The tables beside us all came after us, hit their food and left before we got ours. speaking of food. It's very mediocre. Bland and no real flavor. You can het much better quality at other restaurants. Do not go there to eat there are many better places to try. read more

Stopped by here quickly to grab a to go recommended item, namely a few of the spring rolls. They were pretty good, but I wish they were warmer! Probably because I took them to go haha! I hear that I need to try some of the grilled meats with vermicelli, as well as other good options in the large menu that they have. Some of the other dishes look promising of the pictures, and I maybe back to try them, only then does Saigon star another chance for me! There's plenty of seating with multiple round tables, and a large aquarium on one side. The gentleman that helped me was super friendly. Also there is a charge for credit card use if your total is under $10, so order more to avoid it! On the pro side, there is ample parking a relatively large parking lot for this place. So there is no need to find street parking! read more

This place has a large menu, I come here for the pho and fried chicken wings. The pho here is the best in town.

The menu can be absolutely intimidating. I felt like I was ordering from a SEARS-Roebuck catalog. However, you get a sense of how good a restaurant is by ordering randomly off the menu and having everything turn out pretty good. Let's get right to it: The crispy duck (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3RXfVNDrkTJbaKn5GVpzaQ?select=DsmatWsad06r5Vu3uWXxFg) was definitely unique. I've never had duck fried up like this.. but it turned out to be the most memorable dish for me. Salted Garlic Chicken was good (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3RXfVNDrkTJbaKn5GVpzaQ?select=ssNtvidE5iV7j4IIH--yiA) --- was like the ubiquitous salt n' pepper chicken wings you get at most chinese-american restaurants except without the bones. Reminded me of a fancy popcorn chicken. Next time will probably try the fried garlic/salt crab dish that a table next to ours ordered. That looked bomb-diggity. Wide Rice noodles w/ chicken (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3RXfVNDrkTJbaKn5GVpzaQ?select=YD_DdtOfpH7gNFzr0Lu4UQ) and sweet and sour eggplant were similarly delicious (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3RXfVNDrkTJbaKn5GVpzaQ?select=Foq6JlSJCA-J_VWO-BAJAQ). The scallops with black bean sauce was also good but probably the weakest of the dishes we tried(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3RXfVNDrkTJbaKn5GVpzaQ?select=2_KTF1OExkNLhNNJz-agmw). The scallops could have been larger and there could have been a better scallop-to-filler ratio. I felt like I was trying to find Waldo amongst all those bell peppers. Service was nothing to write home about, but what do you expect from a legit Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant?! They're all about getting you your food and getting you out. Extra kudos because they gave us an absolutely MASSIVE amount of steamed rice and for the interesting murals on the walls. read more

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So I went to Hoover for 4 years and I always passed by this restaurant. I told myself that I would come in but I was afraid it would be too expensive(it's not). Anyways, I got off work around 10 pm and was hungry. I got on yelp to see what there was around me (which I'm doing often now) and came across Saigon. I decided to give it a try. I got the stir fry chicken with steamed rice and it was delicious! I've gone to other Vietnamese restaurants and have ordered the same thing, but they have tasted a little weird. So far this is the best!! read more

Saigon - Take our chicken stir fry w/ steamed rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here with some friends. Never again. *Service: 1/5- it wasn't a very busy night, and even if it was there certainly no excuse. Waiter was upset to take our order, rushed us and didn't even explain the menu too well when asked questions. No one filled our water until near the end of our meal. When we ordered fried egg rolls they just put it all in one plate so whoever ordered we were forced to do a community plate. Which isn't so bad because we were with friends but you can't help and get irritated that you only get one roll while the rest get more than they ordered or didn't order. **Food 3/5- Average food. Huge menu. Too huge over 100+. They should really narrow the menu that way customer turn over would be faster and fewer ingredients needed in kitchen. **Environment 2/5- huge dinning area but it's a maze to get out. Chairs are way too close together that you are forced to detour when someone decides to sit back it their chair a bit. Also waiters busing tables with their push cart make it very uncomfortable. One they make it seem like you should hurry with your mean another it seems dirty because you are trying to enjoy a meal while dirty plates are being tossed into a bin right behind you. **Overall like I said I would never come back. Bad neighbor hood location, bad service with average food. If I'm craving Vietnamese why drive farther for this place. If this is your local spot, cool, but I don't see this place making a mark on the huge Vietnamese Restaurant community. read more

Saigon - Assorted seafood hotspot - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

The pho was the bomb. It hut the spot. We also tried the Lemon grass chicken. Definitely recommend both read more

Saigon - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Good authentic food. Great Value! 1st of all, let me say that this place is up to snuff on all levels-- food, service, and cleanliness. The pho was great, the waiters were fairly attentive, and the tables & floors were very clean. The big fish tank was actually nice- very clean and fun to watch the big koi. As a caucasian woman new to the Pho scene in San Diego, I wasn't sure what to expect based on the previous reviewers' comments. I was expecting poor service and a somewhat dingy atmosphere. But it was anything but. My husband and I had the huge spring rolls- tasty and a bargain at $3.50 and also had two types of pho ($5.25 small/$7.25 large) and a shrimp rice dish ($10). The pho was great- very fresh; the shrimp (kung pao) dish wasn't bad; but as others said, stay with the vietnamese side of the menu towards the front. BTW, we came on a Saturday night around 9pm-- no wait at all, we ordered right away- the spring rolls came within 10 minutes, the pho another 15 minutes, followed by the shrimp & rice. Our bill was $27, plus tax & tip, so who can complain even if you have to wait a few minutes? We'll be back-- great place to take friends and family for a casual meal. read more

Good priced (cheap) menu and good food. I went there for lunch with a cousin and parking was not bad as they had their own lot. From what my cousin told me, parking at night time is HORRENDOUS...just imagine a small parking lot filled with Asian drivers! LOL.. Now to the reason why this spot received two stars from me: service sucks. The waiters were definitely not working together as we had three different waiters and all of them asked for our order. We ordered appetizers from one waiter then approached by another waiter who took our regular order. We received our main dish and asked about the app. only to find out that the order was never put in. Like WTF.. I think that the cheap menu equates to cheap service :( read more

I used to come here when I was younger and in my opinion- I felt it was better back then. Nowadays.. the food seems okay. Their fried rice used to be the best but now it's just okay and I can find better. Only entree I still adore here is the "pho ap chao" which is the flat rice noodle. It's still really good.. I recommend this dish.. with sea food.. call ahead. One of the biggest downfall at this establishment is that they lack customer service. The servers are really rude and aren't ever friendly. When they give you your glass of water- they kinda just slam/toss it.. kinda abruptly ya know? Also! They take FOREVER to come out with the food. There are times my family and I waited for 45min to an1 hour for our food.. and it's not even that busy at times. The owner/manager is really nice and he tries his best to make up for the servers bad behavior.. so that's why I'm giving this place an "okay". read more

Been eating here for over 20 years! I love the food. "Salt n pepper" anything is delicious. My personal fave is the calamari with some rice on the side, I AM SET. EASY 5 STARS! I really don't order anything else, so Idk what to tell you. Service is a 3.5 and that's me being generous. Dining in is fine, never had a bad sit down experience, BUT calling in your order is the worst and thats if they even pick up the phone. I've been told that my food would be ready in 20-25 minutes so I show up when I'm supposed to and STILL have to wait an additional 30-45 minutes for my food. Not cool. It's irritating and inconvenient. read more

Wow, much lunch experience was 5-stars! The service was prompt, the food was excellent, and I walked out stuffed to the gills with some leftovers to take home. The drinks were sweet & cold and the entrees were hot & savory. I'll be back. No pics during this lunch. Next time... read more

I haven't had a meal that made me feel like this in a long time. Actually I don't know if I ever have. The dish I had today actually filled my SOUL. I got the Kung pao shrimp. Shrimp is PERFECTLY COOKED HERE (it's near impossible to get shrimp perfect and you won't know till you've had it perfect). The flavors of everything are developed and complex. Everything you try blows your mind and makes you wonder what it is exactly that's making this dish, the one you've had so many times before, so mind blowing. The Pho broth is unlike any I've had, the Vietnamese Ice coffee is unreal and the service is peaceful and lovely and quick. I don't know what it is about this place, but it's my new favorite restaurant. read more

I've only had one item here and totally recommend eating bun bo hue. It's a very delicious broth, better than pho in my opinion. The wait takes about 20 to 25 minutes until they serve it. Worth the wait. Some of the workers are kind of rude, but may ne that's how their culture is, idk. Food is a 4. The busser cleaned the tables with a rag that (I witnessed) has dropped more than 2 times on the ground... he picked it up like it was nothing and continued to clean the table. Having seen this, I'll give them a 3. read more

Saigon - Bun bo hue. So bomb. Try it - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been coming here ever since I was a little girl, both of my parents used to work here. This was their first job in San Diego #immigrantlife. Anyways I came here recently with my family to celebrate my birthday. Their food is super authentic, this viet girl approves. It tastes very homemade and reminds me of my mothers cooking. I highly recommend getting their family meals, everything is super tasty. Unfortunately their service is pretty bad. Well I guess thats how you know if an Asian place has good food. Most Asian restaurants don't have good customer service, sorry thats just the culture. It took an hour for the food to come out. AN HOUR. Luckily it didnt feel like it because I was talking but that is waayyyyy too long. And my parents knew the manager and they knew how to speak to the waiters- constantly remind them is key. The leftovers tasted just as good, I have a special place in my heart for authentic vietnamese food. Overall, the food is really good and service is really bad. read more

Great food for a great price! Very traditional Vietnamese food that is prepared well and never disappoints! A list of food my friends and I have ordered here: Rice Vermicelli with Nem Nuong (the dry kind, not with the soup), Pho (both the Dac Biet and Tai versions), Rice Plates (various kinds), and their Wonton Soup. For their Wonton Soup, we got specifically the special, which gives you both Rice Noodles and Egg Noodles. Personally I like it with just the Egg Noodles and failed to read that this would just give me both with the toppings, but overall very good, would order again with just the Egg Noodles next time! The portion size if also good! Pho, a staple for any good Vietnamese Restaurant. Overall good, again good portion sizes, the broth is flavorful (though not my favorite Pho place, that goes to Pho Hoa, but you can't order other Vietnamese food there) and they don't skimp on the toppings! Rice Plates, what can I say but they're good! The traditional sort of lemongrass BBQ they use on their BBQed meats here is just something I can't get enough of and it's great to a have a place that hits the spot without breaking the bank and that'll give it to me in a portion large enough to fill me up! Rice Vermicelli, basically the same as the Rice Plates. I personally don't usually like Rice Vermicelli anywhere except in Spring Rolls, but honestly it's very good here thanks to their various toppings! Especially with their Nem Nuong (which really the only complaint I have about is that I wish they had a Rice Plate that let me order Nem Nuong with!). Overall a great place that I'll keep returning to! But what's up with the 4 star review you ask? It's because their take-out containers could use some work. Being from a Vietnamese household, I don't have to worry about having bowls large enough for Pho or their Soups! However, whenever I come here with friends, we always sort of lament getting their Soups or Pho because they don't provide containers that make it convenient to eat their Pho or Soup out of as other places have begun using and if we plan on going back to their places to eat, they don't really have bowls large enough to contain it all! Further negative points for putting the raw meat for Pho at the bottom of the container for the non-liquids of their Pho take out because it makes it much more difficult to dig it out and drop it into the liquid first. While we will continue to frequent this place for their dry dishes, we've basically sworn off their Soups and Pho until we can safely eat out here. read more

Great take-out but service can be irritating. Firstly they need to learn how to answer the phone. This can be a battle but once conquered the food makes up for the frustration. Menu item #333 which are the grape leaves, remains my favorite item overall. Who knew grape leaves were like crack? Oder extra because these things rock! The food is always fresh and perfectly seasoned...they stay true to spice level which is nice for someone who doesn't like their food on fire. read more

#44 is our go to!! Love that they pack their rice plates to the top!! Definitely worth your money and always so tasty! I love their fried calamari as well. So addicting! read more

This is my 3rd time here and it hasn't gotten any better from the first. Terrible customer service. Waiters don't know who ordered what and if you ask if it's the pho you specifically ordered, they never know what it is. The server asked us what we wanted to drink and we all just asked for water. 45 mins later still no water on the table. Had to request for it again. If you ask for anything whether it's a straw or more water, they all look like they're super miserable or that they hate that you asked them for something that you needed. Also, make sure you double check your bill at the end because they charged us for something we didn't order. Never coming back here again. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

This place deserves 5 stars just for their combination fried rice! If you know what real fried rice is supposed to taste like, if you miss that East Coast style Asian food that doesn't exist in San Diego, this is the ONLY place to go. People seem to like some of the other dishes, too--their fresh spring rolls are just okay--but the FRIED RICE!! Did I say FRIED RICE enough?? read more

Saigon - FRIED RICE!! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is amazing!!! I've been going here for 10+ years and this place never disappoints! Great prices, good portions, huge selection, never light on the meats and just overall fantastic!! Even when ordering to go, their portions are solid! read more

Came here on Christmas Eve and the food was great! Ordered the crunchy egg noodle with chicken and it was delicious! 4 stars for service, brought out my girlfriends PHO 15 mins after I got my food. (Think they have her plate to the wrong table) I get it though.. it's Christmas Eve and 9pm so just thankful for them being open! She said it was great PHO too read more

Went to lunch here and had a pleasant experience. I knew what I wanted and ordered the vermacceli noodles with grilled chicken. It comes with fish sauce, very, very fresh veggies like mint, cucumber, sprouts, and carrots. It also came with some egg rolls. Protion is huge, so you could probably share or take it home for dinner. It takes a while for you to get your food so if you're in a rush probably not a good idea to go here. BUT, the end result is a fresh, healthy, cheap meal. $9 with tax and tip!!! I really like this place! read more

I love Saigon! I have been here more times that I can count and while it has its idiosyncrasies, I have never had a bad meal. It is my 5 year old's go-to restaurant and that is saying a lot as she is just wrapping up a year of cancer treatment. I will give you some helpful hints: Don't expect to be able to communicate much with the waiters. They are from Vietnam and are fresh off the boat. You probably won't be able to understand them, and they definitely won't understand you. Just point to what you want on the EXTENSIVE menu. If you want an appetizer, order it first, before you put in your dinner order. Otherwise it may come out with or after your meal. Try the shrimp and pork spring rolls. They are a steal at $3.50 and must be shared (they don't make good leftovers). I always have a bowl of the tai pho. That is Vietnamese soup. DEE-licious. I brought a new friend the other day and he wanted to try something authentic so I asked the waiter what he liked to eat at Saigon. It took a while and a lot of pantomiming but he told us to get the fried shrimp with garlic and salt. These suckers come with their heads and tails still on and I loved every crunchy bite. You may also want to try and avocado shake. It's not for everyone but my daughter loves them. They are like a slightly savory milkshake. You can't go wrong with boba iced coffee and the jackfruit drink. The service isn't super friendly but it is efficient. It is fun to come with a bunch of people and sit at a big round table with a lazy susan and try one of the family meals. They will give you individual checks, too. I have heard this place is very authentic and there are mostly Asians here but as it is the only place I go for Vietnamese food all I can tell you that it is good. Enjoy! read more

Good food. Extensive menu and decent service. The rare beef salad was really good although a bit overly sweet. I am coming back for sure. read more

Saigon - View of the dining room. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Update: Ate here a second time, had the banh xeo,garlic chicken and broccoli, bo luc lac (shaking beef), and orange chicken, cha gio fried egg rolls and goi cuon summer rolls. Egg rolls, summer rolls and shaking beef were good. Banh xeo had way too much bean sprouts (almost 1.5 cups!) and barely any seafood. The crepe itself was over cooked to a crisp. I know how it's supposed to be made and this is not the right way. Orange chicken was ok (3 stars) but sauce was too light and not caramelized. Garlic chicken and broccoli was ok but nothing special (3 stars), could've been caramelized and cooked more. Waiter was more attentive this time. Thai tea was good as usual. I think their Chinese dishes are not as good as the Vietnamese ones. I would still come back here since they cook some dishes well. Keeping this at 4 stars for now until next time when I try other items. Original review: I plan to eat there again & try other dishes when I'm in the area again. I would say that this is a solid 4 star place. The waiters are a little stressed out but are nice & the food comes out fast, plated well & you can't beat the prices. I had the grilled pork & shrimp vermicelli bowl, rolled beef with bo nem vermicelli bowl, fried egg rolls & summer rolls (goi cuon). These were cooked to perfection. As a picky Vietnamese cook & daughter of a chef, I notice everything and this place even had the fish sauce & peanut sauce done right. You get the lettuce, mint plate on the side with most orders but I wish they would've given the Thai basil as well but no big deal. The summer rolls were rolled especially well so they didn't fall apart. The menu is gives you so many options & also hints at the skill level of these cooks to make dishes that require a higher skill level. This is truly authentic Vietnamese food! read more

I decided to just write a quick outline: -Relatively fast and good service -Has delicious, crispy, hot egg rolls -My pho, & my friends' as well, had more noodles than BOTH the meat and the broth in either the small or jumbo bowl; respectively, a 5:2:1 ratio -Definitely great to go with your group of friends when going here close to closing time ;) read more

Saigon - The #24 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

SHRIMP AND PORK ROLLS! ...also the Imperial rolls wrapped in lettuce are quite delicious too. Anyways, my sister and I frequent their shrimp and pork rolls because they are HUGE (2 rolls/order), the peanut sauce is dee-lish, and they are very inexpensive. The Pho is decent and the service is nothing special (basically trying to get you in and out), but the take-out holds up great and like I said... it's cheap! read more

The best pho place in town! Been going here for years! The proportion for the pho is good for the price. Really recommend going here if you're craving pho. The wait time isn't bad here as well read more

Saigon - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Variety in menu items. They are the only restaurant that I know of in SD that has Com Tay Cam on the menu.

Perfection is never easy, ask anyone who likes well made food. Saigon knocked my socks off with the simple pleasure of eating fresh spring rolls. Nothing over done, nothing super fancy, just the perfect mix of protein, fresh veggies and a nutty sauce that is the perfect amount of taste, flavor and counterpoint to the simplicity of the rolls. If you have a chance, stop by and enjoy. read more

Been coming here for years, today was my birthday and I was craving the Fried Lobster and man oh man it didn't disappoint!!!! Cut up into pieces our 2.5 pound fresh lobster came lightly battered with bits of fried garlic, simply seasoned with salt & pepper. And it's finger licking good. We also added the Pho and Vietnamese egg rolls, because that's standard protocol. You won't be disappointed at all read more

Saigon - Family Favorite fried Garlic, Salt & Pepper Lobster - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Food is great, service is not so good. I feel they need more employees and check up on their guest more often.

I've been coming here since I was a child. This place doesn't look all that appealing from the outside but never judge a book by its cover! All of the Vietnamese rice dishes are delicious and their portions are huge. I love their grilled pork and the shrimp wraps. The bean curd is my favorite part. One thing this place does is that they give you a bowl of broth to accompany your rice dish, which is pretty much pho broth. Today I tried out their crab & bamboo soup, it tasted like seafood egg drop soup. A little on the sweeter side but still very flavorful. My parents are from Vietnam and they are both amazing cooks. They're picky about Vietnamese restaurants but they both enjoy eating at this restaurant so I hope that says a lot for anyone looking for Vietnamese food in SD! read more

This place is pretty cool. Its a big hole in the wall. You dont want to bring a first date here, maybe on the 3rd time around! This place isnt fancy by any means and is more of an eatery than a restaurant. The food isnt "to die for" but is definitely decent. The dish that I crave and come here for is a clam dish that they serve in a black bean sauce or Oyster sauce. Now that dish I highly recommend and it is " to die for"!! Its served with rice! I need to pay olé Saigon a visit!! read more

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Saigon is one of my top restaurants in San Diego. It's on my list of go-to places where I take friends from out of town to show them San Diego's awesomeness. My favorite dish is the grape leaves stuffed with beef (I think number 333). It's brought to the table with spring roll wrappers that you moisten in a bowl of water. You roll the grape leaves and various other veggies (cucumbers, carrots, pineapple, mint, etc) then dip the whole thing in chili fish sauce. It's life changing. I also love the clay earthen pot with chicken (possibly #201 can't remember the exact number but it's around there) - it's rice and chicken baked in a clay pot with onions, Lilly buds, and some sauces. Insanely good! The other dishes that I love are the egg rolls and pho - the pho broth can't be beat for flavor. Saigon is one of the best restaurants in San Diego. Everyone I have ever taken here has absolutely loved it. read more

Saigon - Grape leaves stuffed with beef - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

I say over, and a over and a over again... Can't get enough of this wonderful food. A clean restaurant, very adequate parking close to several freeways in the heart of San Diego. And the best Asian/Oriental food in town. (Vietnamese, Chinese/Mongolian/Korean/etc., etc., etc. But by far the meals (about 200 of them) are enough to feed two souls and a child. After the Covid Pandemic with all of the restaurants in the world raising prices (Saigon Restaurant is no different) Saigon surprised me with the increase in the amount of food on the dish(es). Just ask for Victor. He's the big cheese over there. A kind man with a generous heart. And now Victor has enlisted a couple of delivery services. My favorite id order #140, tiny rice noodles with skewed barbecue pork which comes with a large platter of most every vegetables under the sun. A veggies heaven on earth. I'm surprised the military7 has not discovered this golden noodle. A large place with about 30 large tables and can seat a banquet of preobavly 100 spoiuls. Call up for reservations if you have a large party to serve so Victor can bring in more chefs. read more

I am very sad to write this because I've been a loyal customer since 2002. The new management fired all the OG's and hired new people that don't put in the work. Wait times for food have lasted over an hour and service is done with an attitude. The food SUCKS don't taste the same. not the same as when the old management was in charge. I'm sorry but y'all lost me as a customer smh read more

i went here with my son and boyfriend for dinner, first we were never seated, we literally stood there for 10 minutes waiting to be seated when there was a ton of empty tables then after seated another ten minutes my boyfriend had to walk over to this skinny tall asshole guy and ask them what's going on? He gave my boyfriend an attitude and told him to "wait for service." My boyfriend politely went back and waited, finally the skinny tall asshole slanter over to take our order, here is the part that pissed me off, we waiting ONE HOUR AND A HALF for a plate of Eggroll. I swear to god if I can give zero stars I would... After waiting that long with a starving child, AND two other table who arrived after us being serve with food. We decided to leave... and the person at the front desk said "we tell everyone that it would be an hour wait." We haven't been told shit, if we did we would have left to go somewhere else. We've been to this place before when it was ran with a girl at the front desk, fast and good service, but now the place has gone to shit. I will never, EVER going back here again, highly disappointed. read more